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Friday, April 13th, 2007
This week, most of my time was spent in committee listening to testimony on several important issues. The one large bill that did pass the house was H.523 An Act Related to Moving Families out of Poverty. This bill modifies the way Vermont disperses federal assistance to low income Vermonters. The bill was well over eighty pages, was very complicated and difficult to understand. I didn’t feel that I totally understood all of the changes or there implications and did not vote for this bill.
Again this week our Institutions and Corrections committee worked on H.135. This bill would increase the age from 22 to 26 for persons under the supervision of corrections required to achieve a high school diploma or GED. Current law requires that anyone in corrections custody and under 22 years of age who does not have a high school diploma or GED must attend school at he Community High School of Vermont. The corrections department supports this change and the committee will continue working on it next week.
The other issue we have been discussing deals with county courthouses. We received a study committee report that suggested some changes to the way county courthouses received capital funds. As I understand, there are two points of contention within the report: the state fee for space program, and a request by county side judges to allow them to bond for capital improvements to their buildings. The committee made a few minor changes and added that the legislature would have to grant approval to a county before borrowing funds for a capital project. I voted for this bill and the committee passed the bill by a vote of 7-2-2.
We also received testimony from Jonathon Wood Commissioner of Forest and Parks, on a land transfer resolution from the Department of Forest and Parks. It involves four parcels of land in the following towns: Stowe, Lowell, South Hero and Starksboro.
On the property tax reform front, a bipartisan group of six legislators this week proposed to eliminate the residential property tax and replace it with a flat two percent income tax on all Vermonters was presented at a press conference. I will follow the discussion on this proposal over the final weeks of the session. This discussion keeps the issue in the forefront however, with the major bills relating to these issues passing the house last week, my fear became a reality and we will see no tax or healthcare reform this session.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, comments or concerns.
I can be reached here at the Statehouse by calling 1-800-322-5616 or by my cell 373-5960; My website address is Don Turner Jr.com or e-mail me at dturner@leg.state.vt.us. Thank you and have a great week.